Brands—More Than a Logo

Branding has been around for a very long time. What it means to brand something has broadened quite a bit since the word first came into use. The word “brand” comes from the burning of livestock with a branding iron to show ownership, helping to identify the owner by way of their mark. Those early symbols are the foundation of the modern-day logo.

The word “brand” has been expanded to mean more than just a logo. It’s everything that we associate with a company. This includes the negative and positive experiences that we have with a company. Brands are the outward expression of what a company is, what they stand for and how they’re perceived. It’s what makes us feel something towards a company. A brand is the whole of which a logo is only a part.

Brands allow companies to connect with consumers. Think of a company as a person—they have a name, a personality, and values. Appearance, speech, and behaviors identify them. These components exist in a company and their overall impression is much the same as those projected to people. Their name is how you reference them, their personality affects how you are attracted to them and how you feel about them. Their values chart the path of their behaviors. Appearance and speech through web presence and advertising are expressions of who they are.

Brands can’t demonstrate their personality and create real, lasting connections just through a logo. Customer connections come from experiences. It’s experiences that we have with them that will create emotional ties. And experiences like that take time. With that in mind, find who your company is and filter everything you do through that truth. Creating relevance to your company’s identity, creating a breadth of a brand experience, and staying consistent throughout are the keys to building brand recognition and a cohesive experience for customers.